Sometimes people just do not think about what they are saying. Sometimes people say things intentionally to hurt others. I was reminded of James 3:10 this morning. This section of Scripture in the book of James is about our tongue. In the New King James Version the tongue is described as 'The Untamable Tongue'. Verse ten reads, Out of the same mouth proceed blessing and cursing. My brethren, these things ought not to be so. Verse nine in The New Living Testament reads, Sometimes it praises our Lord and Father, and sometimes it curses those who have been made in the image of God. Words can hurt to the core when people do not think before they speak. I had a conversation yesterday with a lady in tears because of things people had said to her. I explained people do not always think before speaking but that didn't stop the tears from flowing. My heart broke for her. I strive to build people up with my words instead of tearing them down. This world tears us down in many ways. We do not need our brothers and sisters in Christ tearing us down further. Ephesians 4:15-16 reads in The New International Version:
But, speaking the truth in love, may grow up in all things into Him who is the head—Christ from whom the whole body, joined and knit together by what every joint supplies, according to the effective working by which every part does its share, causes growth of the body for the edifying of itself in love.
When we open our mouths, we need to speak in His love. Words are powerful. We have the choice in our words being spoken through His love or not. All it takes for them to be spoken in His love is for us to live in His love. We must die to self to live in His love. We must get to the point in our lives where He is more important than ourselves. He must be allowed to reign in our lives fully to fully live in His love. Then, and only then, will we be able to have His words flow from us out of His love in the manner He desires. We will still mess up and say things we shouldn't but not like before we took the step of allowing God control over our lives. We are told in Mark 12 the greatest commandment and the second greatest. It reads in the New King James Version:
29 Jesus answered him, “The first of all the commandments is: ‘Hear, O Israel, the Lord our God, the Lord is one. 30 And you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your mind, and with all your strength.’ This is the first commandment. 31 And the second, like it, is this: ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’ There is no other commandment greater than these.”
Loving God must come first followed by loving others. A life filled with His love is a life filled with blessings. He blesses us by giving us His thoughts, words, actions, etc. He blesses those who will allow Him to bless them. A life filled with Him is a life that can be unexplainable at times to those who do not live such a life. It is a life of empowerment such as II Timothy 1:7 tells us we can live.
Dear Jesus,
Thank You for the blessings of yesterday and the ones ahead in this day! I pray for Doc to feel better today. I pray Your strength over him in a mighty way. I also pray for more of You and less of me to show through today. I know the only way for this to happen is for You to cleanse me so You can fill me. May You shine through my words, actions, and attitude today. Lord, I also pray for those who spoke negative words over the one yesterday to realize they need to lift people up instead of tearing them down. I pray they will think before they speak and repent for the hurt they caused through their words. I pray You will bless all believers to speak words of life into others. Lord, go before me today and give me opportunities to speak words of life into all I meet. I pray for Your people to speak words of love over June and her family during this time of great loss in their family. May You be their Comforter in a mighty way. Thank You Jesus for being Lover of My Soul. Amen.
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